Editorial: All hail, the taxi of tomorrow
The Nissan NV200 was selected as New York City's "Taxi of Tomorrow." Credit: Nissan
Unless new legal potholes appear, the city will begin to roll out a new generation of taxicabs come late October -- the Nissan NV200 -- friendly to the long of limb, to those who'd rather not schmooze with the driver, to people who aren't as limber as they used to be, and to riders with electronic gear to charge up.
Wish it godspeed.
The Taxi and Limousine Commission calls the NV200 the Taxi of Tomorrow. It boasts more legroom than the current workhorse of the city's 13,237-car fleet -- the gritty Ford Crown Victoria, which can frequently seem about as comfortable to ride in as a sardine can.
The NV200, which seats three in the back and one up front, features reading lamps, a flat floor, charging ports for gadgets, passenger-controlled air conditioning and heating, and an intercom for speaking with the driver.
So what's not to like? Well, the NV200 has its opponents, and some of them know their way around a courtroom.
Fleet owners are hacked off because Nissan won't have a hybrid version of the NV200 ready until 2015. So they sued the city for breaking its own rules. The city approved three hybrid options in response -- two Toyota models and a Lexus. But owners are still saying the NV200 will take hybrids off the street. More litigation could follow.
Meanwhile, advocates for the disabled have gone to court to complain that the cab isn't wheelchair-accessible. They argue the NV200 is a van and therefore must easily accommodate wheelchairs. TLC says it's not a van. The agency also points out that it won court approval last month to expand the fleet with 2,000 wheelchair-accessible taxis that passengers, with a smartphone app, can summon to wherever they are.
So why hold up a major improvement that'll instantly benefit the vast majority of people who live, work and visit here? The city has not neglected the interests of disabled people or environmentalists. It's just that -- this being a complicated world -- all elements of the effort to upgrade the fleet haven't come together simultaneously.
Enough already. Let the new cabs roll.
Sarra Sounds Off, Season 3, Ep. 6: Top football teams in action and soccer playoffs roundup Gregg Sarra sounds off on Farmingdale vs. Massapequa and the battle between Longwood and Floyd, plus Michael Sicoli recaps some of the playoff soccer games, an update on the high school fantasy football standings and the plays of the week.
Sarra Sounds Off, Season 3, Ep. 6: Top football teams in action and soccer playoffs roundup Gregg Sarra sounds off on Farmingdale vs. Massapequa and the battle between Longwood and Floyd, plus Michael Sicoli recaps some of the playoff soccer games, an update on the high school fantasy football standings and the plays of the week.
